The present invention relates to a bundle loader and unscrambler, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for unscrambling flexible bars or tubes from a bundle of such tubes.
Prior art bundle loaders and unscramblers typically utilize an apparatus having several parallel belts slung between elevated supports on a frame, forming a festoon-type bundle magazine suspended between the elevated supports. The bundles of tubing are initially positioned in this bundle magazine in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the suspended belts.
The unscrambling of the bundle is often effected by repeatedly raising and lowering the bundle, which causes relative movement between the bars; or alternatively, is effected by lowering the bundle against fixed platforms such that most of the weight is transferred from the belts to the platforms, and such that the upper surfaces of such platforms cause loose bars in the bundle to move outwardly from the bundle and engage a flat surface of the platform.
Once loosened, the bars are then separated from the bundle by conveying the belts over the elevated supports on one side of the frame such that the bundle is essentially lifted to those supports, and such that bars loosened from the bundle can be carried over the supports and deposited onto a storage ramp or bar feeder adjacent to the supports. Examples of such festoon-type unscramblers can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,506,142, 3,871,288, 3,979,018, and 5,017,074.
While such prior art apparatuses are sufficient for unscrambling and loading rigid bars having lengths of 20 feet or less, they are unable to effectively unscramble bars or tubing having lengths of up to 40 feet or more, especially if light-weight bars or hollow tubing are being loaded. This is because as the length of the tubing or bars increases, the overall rigidity of the tubing or bars substantially decreases, and thus the tubing or bars have a significant propensity to twist and tangle in a spaghetti-like fashion. Furthermore, the above separating step of lifting of the bundle to the supports by conveying the belts over the elevated supports, causes the previously loosened bundle to be compressed again such that much of the previous loosening of the bundle is undone. Therefore, the above methods of unscrambling and separating rigid bars from a bundle are insufficient to unscramble and separate flexible tubing or bars twisted in a tangled bundle.
Therefore, it is desirable to have an apparatus and method which can unscramble bundles of flexible tubing or bars, and especially, which can unscramble bundles of tubing or bars having lengths of upwards of 40 feet or greater.